Legion air rifle championship begins Aug. 5

The American Legion - July 30, 2010

 

The American Legion's 20th annual Junior 3-Position Air Rifle National Championship gets under way Aug. 5-7 at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. A $2,500 scholarship - donated by the Sons of The American Legion - will be awarded to the national champion in both the sporter and precision category.

During the competition, 30 competitors will aim for the national championship title in their category by shooting with a .177 caliber air rifle in three positions: prone, standing and kneeling.
The final shoot-off between the top eight contestants in the precision and sporter category will take place Aug. 7, and will once again be streamed live via the Legion's Web site from 8 a.m. - 11 a.m. (MDT).

The following list features the 15 finalists competing in the precision category:
Alan Agnew, Graham, Wash.
Jennifer Armendariz, El Paso, Texas
Tyler Christopherson, Laramie, Wyo.
Catherine Green, Coventry, R.I.
Danielle Foster, Newport News, Va.
Chelsey Frink, New Philadelphia, Ohio
Matthew Martin, Eagle River, Alaska
Magdalena Mical, Clearwater, Fla.
Arielle Mouhot, Columbus, Ga.
Amber Poston, Anchorage, Alaska
Shane Russell, Mendon, Mich.
Landon Shankles, Albuquerque, N.M.
Niki Silveria, Rocklin, Calif.
Chad Wheland, Williamsburg, Pa.
Bryan Zavala, Lytle, Texas

The following list features the 15 finalists competing in the sporter category:
Hannah Black, Yorktown, Va.
Joshua Black, Yorktown, Va.
Hunter Firebaugh, Albuquerque, N.M.
Vincent Ford, Albuquerque, N.M.
Thomas French, Zion, Ill.
Carrie Garvin, Hollywood, S.C.
Ryan Holcombe, Rayville, La.
Gary Johnson, Rayville, La.
James Klaszky, Oak Harbor, Wash.
Nicko Noble, Killeen, Texas
Robert Scott, Belgrade, Mont.
Alyssa Siegfried, Zion, Ill.
James South, Iuka, Miss.
Yvonne Swiontek, Beach Park, Ill.
John White, Mt Airy, Md.

For further information regarding the upcoming Junior 3-Position Air Rifle National Championship, click here.

 

BOYS NATION ALUMNI

Boys Nation alumni address senators

By Cameran Erny - July 29, 2010

 Boys Nation alumni, from left, Maj. Sean Morrow, Nathan Skelley, Michael Lang and Joel Leftwich wait to address the senators on Wednesday. Photo by Charlie Tucker

 

 Alan Lance, a retired judge of the U.S. Court of Veterans Appeals and past American Legion National Commander, dressed in a black robe Wednesday morning in order to preside over the 2010 Boys Nation inauguration. All 98 senators convened in the Marymount University auditorium, where Lance swore into office Boys Nation President Charlie Brown and Vice President Alex Geiger. After the president and vice president delivered their remarks of appreciation, Lance conducted a question-and-answer session with the senators.
Immediately following the inauguration, the senators trekked to the gym for another senate session involving the passing of bills and resolutions. Vice president Alex Geiger presided over the session as bills were presented, debated and voted on amongst the four senate committees. To view bills and resolutions introduced by the senators, click here.

The bills and resolutions introduced are compiled and sent to the president of the United States shortly after the end of Boys Nation. They also become a permanent record of the program and are archived at The American Legion National Headquarters in Indianapolis.

For the afternoon, the senators left campus and headed to Washington to tour the American History Museum and the World War II Memorial.

A few popular exhibits inside the history museum included the 30-feet by 34-feet Star-Spangled Banner from 1814, the First Ladies inaugural gowns, the life of Abraham Lincoln, and photos, weapons and uniforms from the different war eras.

"I like the presidential exhibit because it gave a detailed background on all the presidents and their vital roles in our history," said Ryan Niedermair from Mandeville, La.

"I really enjoyed the tour on all the wars the U.S. has been involved in," said Aditya Rengaswamy from Troy, Mich. "The global perspective of everything the U.S. has done is amazing."

The World War II Memorial, which was dedicated on May 29, 2004, honors the 16 million soldiers who served in uniform and those who died fighting for freedom. The senators walked along a circular path that displayed 56 pillars commemorating those who united during the war - U.S. states, territories and the District of Columbia. Hanging from the pillars are wreaths of oat and wheat, which were two agriculture products essential to the nation's success with the global war effort.

A somber moment was felt among all 98 senators when they grasped what the World War II Memorial's Freedom Wall represented. The wall features 4,000 gold stars in honor of the more than 400,000 Americans who died fighting in the war. This was a reminder to the senators of the sacrifices the soldiers gave for freedom and individual rights.

To end the night, four Boys Nation alumni spoke to the senators about their experience with the program, how it impacted their lives and where they are now. The four men were Joel Leftwich, a legislative assistant for a U.S. senator; U.S. Army Major Sean Morrow; Nathan Skelley, an undergraduate from Cornell University who is pursuing his medical degree at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; and Michael Lang, an attorney for the federal energy agency.

During their presentation, the alumni encouraged the senators to get involved and not to stress about holding office positions.

"Yes, elections are a big part of the program, but it's only one part of the entire week," Skelley said. "Try to get involved because there is more to the program than elections. Remember, it's a week that shapes a lifetime, but it's also a once in a lifetime opportunity."

A fascinating and proud moment for the senators was hearing from the alumni on how Boys Nation has brought them recognition among college professors and career professionals.
For example, during an interview at John Hopkins, Skelley was asked to share his Boys Nation experience because the interviewer was a Boys State alumnus but never made it to Boys Nation like he wanted to. For Major Morrow, academically his grades were not up to standards for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. However, when they received his application and noticed that he was a Boys Nation alumnus, they knew he had the leadership skills to succeed and accepted his application.

"Hearing the four alumni speak on how Boys Nation has been instrumental in their education, life and careers was inspiring," said Colin Danly from Lake Forest, Ill. "Joel Leftwich gave us great advice in that we always need to challenge ourselves and that the process and the learning experience of Boys Nation is what we need take with us now and five, 10 years from now."

BOYS NATION

Holocaust survivor speaks to Boys Nation

By Cameran Erny - July 30, 2010

 

Holocaust survivor Nesse Godin tells her story to Boys Nation senators. 

Photo by Charlie Tucker

 

 On Thursday, Boys Nation senators climbed the steep road to Capitol Hill for a second time, as each young man was afforded the opportunity to meet and converse with their respective state senator, discussing everything from politics to baseball, and everyone walked away with memorable stories.

Patrick Samuels from Sheridan, Ind., and Ryan Byers from LaPorte, Ind., enjoyed their two-hour lunch with Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar; Tro Panosian from Scottsdale, Ariz., and Thomas Borns from Chandler, Ariz., caught a glimpse of  Arizona Sen. John McCain getting into an elevator and asked to jump on with him. He happily obliged, and even took a picture with the young men. Christian Chung from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., spoke with a four-star general along with Candy Crowley, host of ‘State of the Union' on CNN.

"Going into today I was told that you will never be ready for who you might see roaming the halls of the senate office or the Capitol," said Chung. "I met with congressman from both political ideologies and asked them a question about financial regulation and received two different answers. This was a great experience because you got to actually see valid points from both sides that you couldn't really contest. It was an eye-opening experience and just a great day."

After making it back to campus in the afternoon, drenched from the storm that suddenly came through, the senators quickly dried off, ate dinner and then were witness to a powerful presentation.

At 82 years old, Nesse Godin is a Holocaust survivor who currently lives in Sliver Spring, Md., with her husband, Jack. For the past few years, Nesse has brought her emotional, yet powerful, message to Boys Nation senators, whom she calls her 98 children. In speaking with the junior counselors who are past Boys Nation senators, Nesse was the highlight of their week back then and still is today.

Born in Siauliai, Lithuania, Nesse was only 13 years old when she knew the Holocaust affected her; she knew it was going on because she was forced to wear a yellow star to show identification as a ***** in public. "The penalty of not wearing the star was death. So I wore the star hoping I would be free," Nesse said.

Eventually, the Gestapo and a young girl came to the Godin's apartment, bringing certificates that ordered Nesse's mom, father and two brothers to the ghetto, where they were placed in a confined area similar to a jail and fed little. As the Gestapo was searching the home for valuable possessions to confiscate, Nesse's mother pulled the young girl into the bedroom, begging her to give the family another certificate for Nesse or else she would be separated from them. 

Nesse's mother paid the young girl to leave a certificate, and when the Gestapo left, there were five certificates. Had Nesse not received a certificate, her fate would have rested with the 3,500 people who perished in 15 synagogues.

By 1943, the trucks came to the ghetto to haul away her father to Auschwitz, and Nesse's mother said to her, "My child, the trucks are here. Trucks mean deportation. And deportation means separation of family." Soon thereafter, at 16 years old, Nesse was on a train to the Stutthof concentration camp and given the ID number 54015. When she arrived to camp, Nesse was stripped of her personal belongings and clothes, beaten and given a dress, a pair of shoes and underpants.

"Everything was taken from me except one thing - my name, Nesse Godin."

The older women at the Stutthof concentration camp took Nesse under their wings and provided encouragement, a huge part to her survival. She snuck into the labor camp line, an idea from the women so she wouldn't be put to death, and pinched her cheeks to look healthier and stood on her tip toes to look taller. Her labor involved digging trenches for enemy tanks to fall into.

Overall, Nesse endured the concentration camp, four labor camps and a bitterly cold death march in January 1945, during which time she saw mounds of skeletons and was one of 200 survivors out of the 1,000. During the death march, Nesse prayed to God that he would let her die because as a little girl, she couldn't suffer anymore. But it was the women that told her she had to survive because she had to tell her story and theirs.

Nesse was liberated by the Soviet Army in March 1945, weighing a mere 69 pounds. Unfortunately, her father didn't survive Auschwitz, but she was reunited with her mother and one brother before moving to the U.S. in 1950.

Her physical and mental wounds will always be a part of her, but Nesse has overcome the past by keeping her story alive. And as she knows the time will come when she can no longer tell her story, she asked the 98 Boys Nations senators a favor.

"Make a difference in this world, regardless of how we look, how we pray or where we come from," she said. "Keep the story of the Holocaust alive so it never happens again, because we cannot close our eyes when somebody is doing terrible things."

JAMBOREE

Jamboree honors a century of scouting
The American Legion - July 22, 2010

Boy Scouts of America has been celebrating its 100th anniversary throughout 2010. The year of commemoration comes to a climax at the National Jamboree July 26 to Aug. 4 at Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia.

Thousands of Scouts from across the country will gather to enrich their lives, reinforce Scouting skills, learn leadership and teamwork, and of course, have fun.

American Legion National Commander Clarence E. Hill is among the dignitaries scheduled to take in the Jamboree and spend time with Scouts and their leaders.

“The American Legion’s support for Boy Scouts of America began at the Legion’s first national convention in 1919,” Hill says. “Today, Legion posts sponsor more than 2,500 Scouting units across the country. It’s a perfect fit. Legionnaires bring their service-learned skills and experiences as veterans to help build character and positive traits in our country’s youth. Few other post activities generate more good will from the community.”

This may be the last jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill. The Scouts have been developing a permanent camp near the New River Gorge in West Virginia that will “allow for white-water rafting and other outdoor activities,” according to one BSA official. “It will also give the organization more space and, ultimately, more control, because they will own the land on which the jamboree is taking place, instead of the U.S. military.”

STATE CONVENTION

2010 - 2011
DEPARTMENT COMMANDER

 V. James Troiola

Jim lives in Nanuet with his wife Saveria. They have two daughters Laura and Jeanette.

He served on active duty with the US Navy from 1968-1974 assigned to the U.S.S. Nitro AE-23 in the Mediterranean and Guantanamo Bay.

Jim worked as a Car Dealer Service Manager Specialist for 40 years, and is currently the owner of an automotive training consultant company.

Jim is a member of the William E. DeBevoise Jr. Post 1682 in New City, Rockland County, 9th District.

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Auxiliary President Elected

Nancy G. Kurk

AUXILIARY DOWNLOADS

WANT TO VIEW downloads of Auxiliary brochures and PDF files that you may print with your printer.

 INDEX OF DOWNLOADABLE FILES:  Also sign up for E-newsletters of Auxiliary activities here:

http://www.legion-aux.org/currentmembers/index.aspx

 This is the downloadable PDF file for the Junior Activities Handbook of June 2010:

http://www.legion-aux.org/uploads/docs/JuniorActivitiesHandbookREVJune2010WEB_JF59K1.pdf

LEGACY SCHOLARSHIP

Legacy Scholarship tries again for grant
Vote daily for $250,000 in Pepsi Refresh Everything Project

For the second consecutive month, The American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund is competing for a $250,000 grant to be awarded by the Pepsi Beverage Co. as part of its Refresh Everything Project.

While Pepsi did not announce just where the Legacy Scholarship Fund finished in its May voting competition, the top two charities win the grants and the remaining top 100 are “rolled over” to participate in the next month’s competition. During the evening of May 31, The Legacy Scholarship was ranked 49th of 1,341 participating charities.

The American Legion’s Operation Comfort Warriors finished in first place during February’s voting and has already been awarded the top grant of $250,000.
“While I am disappointed that The American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund did not win a grant, I am not surprised that we apparently finished in the top tier,” National Commander Clarence E. Hill said. “If The American Legion family and all of our friends support this great cause, we can do better in June.

“Operation Comfort Warriors finished first in February. This is not about the same organization winning twice. It’s about assisting an entirely different group of deserving people: those whose parents paid the ultimate price and sacrificed their lives while serving in our military during the war on terrorism. The American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund ensures that the children of these fallen heroes will be able to attend college and not have to worry about the rising cost of higher education. We can support the children of these heroes simply by voting every day throughout the month of June. The process will cost you nothing, but the reward can truly make a difference.”

Visitors can cast their votes online or by clicking on the “Vote Daily” Pepsi panel at www.legion.org.

Hill also recommended that Legionnaires, Legion family members, friends and supporters of The American Legion spread the message to vote for The American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund.

“Individual voting alone will not win this competition,” Hill said. “We need people to post it on their Web sites, Facebook and Twitter accounts. They should use all social-media methods at their disposal. Operation Comfort Warriors was able to win because American Legion posts, Auxiliary units, Sons of the American Legion squadrons and American Legion Riders chapters all came together and worked toward a common goal. Spreading the word in newsletters and the mainstream media can also help us replicate our earlier success.”